Refrigerating machine



Aug. 18, 1936. R. J. E. 'c. VIN 2,051,321

-' REFRIGERATiNG MACHINE Filed-June 9, 1933 2 Sheeis-Sheet I &5

* INVENTOR. H .J E. C. Vi 72 A TTORNEYS.

Aug; 18, 1936.

R. J. E. C.-VlN REFRIGERATING MACHINE 2 She ets-Sheet 2 Filed June 9,- 1935 INVENTOR.

30 shaft.

Patented Aug. 18, 1936 4 UNITED sTA'rss- 2,051,321 REFBIGERATING moms Rene Joseph Emile Constant Vin, Paris, Franw, assignor to Pierre Gallon, Paris, France- Franoe June 11, 1932 Applicatiorlin June a, 1933, Serial No. 015,134

" :1 Claims. ((162-115) My invention relates to refrigerating machines adapted to operate on the usual compressing, condensing, expanding cycle and has for its object to provide a single unit apparatus of small I; size in which the lubricant which is brought forward by the refrigerating fluid during operation or when the apparatus is transported, may be- Figs. 3 and 4 are elevational views, with parts broken away, of two other embodiments. 20 g In the form of construction represented in Fig. 1, the refrigerating machine is chiefly adapted 'for use with refrigerating fluids at low pressure, such as tetrachloride'ot carbon, ethyl chloride or the like. The compressor l is mounted in the 25 interior of a cylindrical casing 2 and ,its shaft 3,

which is located on the vertical axis of said casing, is driven at its end, which is provided with a tight coupling, by a pulley 5 but it might also be driven by a motor mounted on the end of the r The said compressor draws through a conduit 1 the gas from an expansion chamber 8 secured to the casing 2. The compressed gas is delivered through a conduit 9 into a cylindrical duct 90 located at the centre of a con ensation 35 chamber l2. The lower end of said duct is situated at a short distance from the bottom 18 of the condensation chamber i2 and it forms with the lateral wall of said chamber an annular space M. Spiral tubes ii for condensation, in'which 40 water or other cooling liquid is circulated, are

mounted in said annular space it and are preferably situated in such way that the coils will alternately rise and descend, as shown by the arrows. The cooling liquid iscirculated in the spiral tubes I5 by means 01 a pump or the like, not sho and its output can be regulated, automatically or not, according to needs.

A pipe I! which is practically coaxial with the duct It connects the lower part of the conden-.

sation chamber l2 with a bore 18 formed in the compressor shaft and which communicates through apertures I! with the parts to be lubricated.

A cock 22 is mounted at the upper part of the chamber n {or filling p rp ses.

An overflow conduit connects the condensation chamber It with an intermediate chamber 24 located below this latter and in the interior of the expansion chamber 8. The connection between the chambers 24 and 8 is assured by an 5 orifice 25 whose flow section is controlled by a balanced float 26 mounted in the expansion chamber 8.

The expansion chamber 8 has a practically conical form, with the small end downward, and communicates at the small end and at the upper end with the respective ends 29 and 30 of a cooling spiral pipe 3 I The orifice 28 for the entrance of the cooling fluid into the spiral pipe 3lis pref- I erably surrounded by a cup 32 adapted to retain any traces of lubricant which may be drawn forward.

The entire apparatus is pivotedabout a horizontal axis, which arrangement is represented by two trunnions 35 secured to the casing 2.

The operation is as follows:

The cooling fluid drawn into the chamber 8 is delivered through the conduit 9 into the duct II) which serves to separate the lubricant. This latter collects at "the lower part of the chamber I2, whence it returns to the rotary parts to be lubricated through the pipe I! into. which it is forced simply by the effect of the pressure prevailing in the chamber l2.

As the liquid in the chamber l2 forms a joint 9') between the bottom II of this chamber and the lower end of the duct It, the compressed gas is obliged to rise. and to proceed into the annular space l4, in which it is condensed by the tubes IS. The resulting liquid, which is lighter than the lubricant, accumulates in the lower part of the chamber l2, above the layer of lubricant, and flows into the intermediate chamber' 24 through the overflow conduit 28.

The refrigerating liquid passes thence into the 40 expansion chamber 8 through the orifice 25 controlled by the float 26 and circulates in the tube 3| into which it enters through the aperture 28 and in which it produces-the desired cooling eflect.

The traces of lubricant which may be carried beyond the condensation chamber l2 by the retrlgerating' liquid or during the transportation of the apparatus can be returned very simply into its work circuit, when desired, by pivoting the whole apparatus above the horizontal axis represented by the trunnions 35.

In'the form of construction represented in Fig. 2, the orifice 25 connecting the intermediate chamber 24 with the expansion chamber 8 is also provided with an overflow tube 31,

which further reduces the amount of lubricant drawn into said chamber '0. 0n the other hand, the said chamber 0, in which the intermediate chamber is formed by means of a wall, is quite distinct in its construction from the rest of the apparatus and is secured to the-- with a unit device comprising an expansionchamber 8 containing an intermediate chamber 24, and the cooling tubes H. The door 40 is pivotally mounted on a horizontal axis 4i, and thus the lubricant may be again broughtinto the work circuit, as above set forth with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 also shows the cooling worm-tubes II which are'provided with flanges I! by which the cold is'diifused. a

Fig. 4 represents the high-pressure part of an apparatus, in which the cooling required for the condensation o: the gases is effected by means of atmosphere. air. In this construction, the vapour drawn by the pipe I from the expansion chamber, not shown, is delivered into a flanged spiral tube All in which it is condensed before it is delivered into' the condensation chamber l2 through the pipe 9.

The lubricant returns from this chamber to the movable parts through. the pipe I! and the refrigeratingliquid is discharged through the overflow 23, as in the preceding constructions,

The spiral tubes are locatedrin anfiannular space 48 in the casing 2 in which the air is circulaied from the lower apertures 41 to the upper apertures I8 by means of an air-fan 49 mounted on the shaft of the compressor 1. The whole apparatus can be pivoted onthe trunnions I5.

While I have described what I at present consider preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in'the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from my invention and I, therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerating machine adapted to operate on the usual compressing, condensing, ex-

panding cycle, the combination of a gas compressor, means for driving said compressor, a condensing chamber, a substantially cylindrical duct within said'chamber defining with the lateral surface of said partition an annular space the lower part of which is in communication with the lower part of said duct, condensing means located in said annular space, means for delivering the lubricating oil carrying compressed gas into said duct, wherein oil is mechanically separated from the gas, means for returning to the parts of said compressor to be lubricated said separated oil, said means comprising a pipe, connecting the lower part of said chamber with the compressor so that oil will be forced to said parts through said pipe by the pressure prevailing in said chamber.

2. In a refrigerating machine adapted to operate on the usual compressing, condensing, expanding cycle, the combination of a compressor, means for driving said compressor, a condensing chamber, means for delivering into said condensing chamber the oil containing compressed gas issuing from said compressor, condensing means for said compressed gas, whereby it is formed above the bottom of said condensing chamber a layer of oil covered by a layer of condensed gas,

means for returning said 011 to the parts of the v compressor to be lubricated, an intermediate chamber, a pipe connection between said condensing and intermediate chambers, said connection issuing above the bottom of said condensing chamber, an expansion chamber connected with said intermediate chamber and said compressor, and means for rotatably supporting 'as a whole said chambers and said compressor,

in such a manner that theymay be swung about i said support, and said intermediate'chamber and expansion means on the other side.

RENE JOSEPH EMILE cons'rsn'r vm. 

